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"[My relationships were] like I was in these movies where the script was only half-written. When I’d get to the end of this half-script, the other actors wanted me to ad lib. But I had never gotten the hang of that. That’s why these movies were always box-office failures. Six of them in the past twenty years. I always blew the lines." ~ from my horrible first novel "Learn How To Pretend." (unpublished)(obviously)

Monday, October 15, 2012

Meditation in Buddhism

From Buddha Groove. Click the link to find much more on Buddhist teaching, Inspiration, and Karmic accoutrement.

Meditation in Buddhism

Translated, “Buddha” means “awakened one,” which is fitting as Buddhism
focuses on life, and existence. Buddhism was first practiced in India
and spread throughout Asia as Buddha’s teachings became more widespread.
Today, it’s estimated that Buddhism is practiced by 350 million people,
making it the fourth most practiced in the world, but far more people –
both religious and non-religious – practice an aspect that rose to
popularity with Buddhism: meditation.
You’ve likely seen meditation portrayed in movies and television as
people sitting cross-legged with their heads down in silence. But what
exactly are they really doing? Is this an accurate depiction? And what
significance does this hold beyond religion and in terms of well-being?
This article will focus on the origins, types and importance of meditation as it pertains to the Buddhism.

History and Origin
The history of when meditation was first practiced is somewhat
muddled, although it’s believed to have been first practiced by hunters
and gatherers years before it became a religious practice. It’s thought
that meditation actually had its earliest religious roots in Hinduism.
Buddha, however, is arguably the largest proponent of meditation, as he
began practicing it as part of the Buddhist religion around 500 B.C.
While Buddha didn’t create or start meditation, Buddha’s teachings
helped it spread across the Asian continent. As it spread, people
discovered and developed different ways of perceiving meditation and
practicing it. Meditation didn’t spread into Western civilization until
thousands of years after it emerged in Asia. And it wasn’t until the
1960s and 1970s that university professors and researchers truly began
to study the meditation practice and understand its origins and benefits
beyond religion.

Meditation BasicsAccording to Buddhist teachings,
meditation is defined as a way to change how the mind works. Under
Buddhist teachings, everyone is destined to make mistakes, some of it
which is based on desire. And while people may say that they’re going to
change something about their life, saying it is a lot different than
doing it. That’s where meditation comes in: It’s designed to raise the
mental awareness to change habits that are a part of your lifestyle. It
helps you to truly think about things in your life that you need change
and then mentally try to change it.
Meditation is intended to be liberating – a chance to rid your mind
of the day’s problems to concentrate on change. It’s also said to be
relaxing, as typically you’re practicing in complete silence for minutes
at a time. In fact, some Buddhist teachers teach you to begin
meditating at 15 minutes, then gradually extending the meditation
periods by five minutes each week until you’re at a point where you’re
meditating for 45 minutes at a time. This is because your mind and
concentration takes time to improve and get to the point where you can
shut out most other thoughts. This ensures that you get times of true
peace.

Varieties
While there are many different varieties of meditation that are practiced today, the two main types that Buddha taught where “Mindfulness of Breathing” and “Loving Kindness Meditation.” The first type mentioned here, not surprisingly, focuses on breathing, while the latter focuses more on quality of life.
In meditation, it’s important to find a quiet place to practice and
then find a comfortable posture to sit in. Since you’re likely going to
be sitting in the same position for eventually up to 45 minutes, it’s a
good idea to sit comfortably, and perhaps even add comfort to your
posture with a pillow. In “Mindfulness of Breathing” meditation, start
by focusing completely on the in and outs of your breath. According to
Buddhist teachings, this helps to enhance your concentration and achieve
a mental peace and calm.
“Loving Kindness Meditation” should be done after you’ve mastered and
have become comfortable with the “Mindfulness of Breathing” meditation.
This is characterized by wishing both yourself and other people you
know well as you meditate.
Other types of meditation are tranquility and insight. The former
aims to train the mind to concentrate while the latter is designed to
help a person realize and understand certain truths in life.

Significance
So how can meditation help benefit you? In Loving Kindness
Meditation, positive change is encouraged to take place both in how you
perceive yourself and how you perceive and feel towards others. This
type of meditation teaches you to forgive yourself, to look at others
differently and to nurture your feelings toward yourself and toward
others. This can be a very powerful and uplifting practice as it
certainly can lead to a higher quality of life. There’s many more
benefits to meditation that piggyback off of the Buddhist way, which can
be learned in the section directly below.
Yes, meditation can be powerful. But how? It’s because of the human
mind – it’s arguably the most significant part of your body. Meditation
simply teaches you how to focus your mental energy on positive things so
that they can help you live more prosperously. Think of it like this:
It’s often said that golf is a game that is 90 percent mental and 10
percent physical and if you don’t have the ability to use your mind and
concentrate at the task at hand, the physical attributes can only carry
you so far. Not surprisingly, it should be noted that Tiger Woods is a
practicing Buddhist and he’s currently No. 2 all-time on the PGA Tour
win list.
Additionally, meditation is intended to encourage spiritual
enlightenment, though many people practice it for its health benefits.

Benefits in Modern Life
Perhaps Buddha was on to something thousands of years ago when he
began practicing meditation as part of the Buddhist religion. As we
previously mentioned, many professors and researchers have done studies
on the benefits of meditation. And the benefits are plentiful, based on
some of the research and findings – both psychological and
physiological. Here is a rundown of some of the benefits, according to a
study by University of Florida

A decrease in blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Better immune system: Findings have indicated that regular practice
of meditation can not only help people fight colds and illness, but can
also help slow or control the pain of serious diseases and illnesses.

A lower rate of stress and anxiety. Findings have also found this can elevate the mood of those who regular practice it.

An increase in intellect.

Better emotional state: We’ve already covered how regular practice
of meditation can lead to an elevation in mood, but in addition,
meditation can also help forge better relationships with your family and
friends, reduce irritability, increase your self-esteem and have you
feeling younger, fresher and rejuvenated.

Based on some of these discoveries, it’s proof that not only is
meditation good for the mind, but good for the body. And if not for the
teachings of Buddha, none of this might have ever been discovered. In
fact, some people are even beginning to meditate outside of the Buddhist
religion for its benefits.